sidelines
by Aria Fox
Summary: A little moment near the end of thunder storm p2. Blake and Tommy talk.


In the dawn light he could see them, they looked like something out of a dream.

Tori's pale hair gleamed gold while she stood in perfect ready position. The light was hitting her blade turning the normal ninja-training sword into Excalibur. The strong, beautiful almost woman ready to conquer any challenge. Blake's breath caught in his chest just looking at her.

At this moment her challenge was his brother. Both of them had taken on an other world quality in their perfect stillness as the morning light danced around them but it was the girl who had his interest. She had had it from the first time Lothor had sent them down to gather information on the wind rangers.

"Your up early." Dragging his eyes away Blake focused on the older man in front of him. They had only meet yesterday but Blake could see why the dino rangers had so much respect for this man. Tommy Oliver was a mix of sensei and field commander. The oldest serving ranger, a legend. Dustin had spent most of yesterday, when he was not evil or kick evils butt pestering the poor guy for old war stories.

"Yeah, training isn't an easy thing to shake." Nodding his understanding Tommy filled an oversized green mug with black coffee. Blake inwardly winced at the third teaspoon of sugar. Taking his own coffee from where he's left it on the counter Blake sat down at the breakfast bar Fiddling with the sleeve of his motor cross shirt avoiding Tommy's eyes when he joined him.

"Not as early as the others though I heard Kapri? Well one of the girls any way complaining at half five."

"They thought they should have the day off but Saturday is the intensive day" It had been Marah who had done the complaining but it was Kapri's accidental kick in the back that had woken him up. For some reason though he had lain still not letting the others know he was awake. Just listening to the hushed whispers and groaning that were part of early morning training.

"Intensive?"

"Not many ninja's live at the school so one day a week they have intense training." Silence descended on the kitchen uncomfortable in some ways but Blake was no where near awake enough to force conversation.

It had seemed like such a good idea. Hunter, Tori and the others had offered to stay on to watch him race and Dr. Oliver had offered the ninjas his place instead of the expensive of a hotel. Marah and Kapri had taken the spare room while the ex rangers had settled themselves on the floor of the good doctor's living room.

It had been fun, lots of take away food and drink or coke for those who had a big race the next afternoon. They had stayed up talking most of the night catching up in a way that just was not possible other than face to face. The downside, more than anything else, even no longer feeling entitled to change into his thunder training suit was how the other five had been able to relate to each other as ninja teachers that had brought home how much he was out of their world.

In the same way he had meant to call more, send email replies, scribble more than a few lines on a post card. His well...family Blake guessed had not been able to shake the responsibilities of college, teaching and their families to get away and watch him race.

So nearly a year after they had defeated Lothor the ex ninja rangers were back together and they were going to watch him race and not just any race but the nationals! Excitement and terror fizzled through his veins he was going to compete in the motor cross championships with everyone he cared about watching. But he _was_ going to win, they would be proud and know he had made the right decision.

"It's good that they don't remember."

Caught up in his daydreams of victory he almost missed the quiet words. Brought back to cold reality Blake hunched over cradling his coffee. "Yeah before Lothor showed up the worst thing that had happened to them was being late for class and sensei bowling them, out for it." Even through his melancholy Blake's conscience prickled him that was not true Dustin, Shane and Tori had their demons. They just were not as out there as his and Hunter's.

"I don't mean it like that. They're good people they don't deserve those type of memories." From the corner of his eye Blake could see Dr. Oliver had consciously or not mirrored his posture. There was something about warm coffee when everything inside seemed frozen.

"I know this incident has brought up a lot of bad memories for me I'm glad they don't have that." Looking into Dr. Oliver's face Blake saw someone beside Hunter who in the armpit of a bad night still saw the faces of people they had hurt. Haunted by the question of if there was something inside that made evil choose them?

"Who?" Unsure how to go on if he should even finish the question Blake's voice trailed off.

"It was when I first moved to Angel Grove the power rangers, the original ones were battling a space witch called Rita Repulsa. She decided she needed reinforcements and made me her green ranger." One half of Dr. Oliver's mouth kicked up. "I almost destroyed them." Feeling the need to share himself Blake told his own story in almost a whisper.

"We owned them when we went up against the wind rangers. We'd been training for the morphers for almost as long as I remember. Plus we were more motivated." Seeing the Doctor's inquiring look Blake elaborated. "We were captured with the other thunder ninjas. When he started having problems Lothor released us and clouded our minds enough for us to believe Sensei Wantabe killed our parents. Right and wrong was always a strong point in my family. In our eyes Sensei had wronged us and the rangers were protecting him. They needed to be removed. We were pretty brutal."

Dr Oliver sighed heavily. "But they forgave you, accepted who as one of their own but still..."

Blake nodded his agreement. "Yeah still" Their friends might have forgiven them but did they ever get around to forgiven themselves?

CRASH!

Leaping up both men, grateful for the reprieve from soul searching, raced to porch but skidded to a stop at the stairs. Blake could see Cam stop to help Kapri and Marah up from the trashcans. Shane and Dustin were not far behind them exiting the woods they were obviously returning from their morning run. Pulling Dr. Oliver back into the shadows of the porch. Blake watched as Shane made a double-jointed twist of his left arm before reaching behind his back as if reaching for a sword. With no flash but just as though it had always been there waiting to be unsheathed, a sword appeared in his hand. Dustin quickly made the same move using his right hand pulling out his own sword. Together but walking backwards training given them the prudence to miss the broken branches and leave piles earth and air moved away from Cam, Marah and Kapri. Blake was too far away to hear but he knew the two friends were teasing the cousins. Pushing away the stab of envy Blake went back inside the deceptively looking small house.

"Do you want another?" He called over his shoulder at the doctor.

Tipping away his now cool coffee in the sink Blake re-filled their mugs.

"Thanks I'll take it up to the bathroom with me there might be a rush on after their done." Inclining his head towards the window Dr Oliver picked up his coffee.

Pulled by an irresistible force Blake went back to the window. For a few seconds he could not see what he was looking for but then a pale blue ninja streak shot out from the trees closely followed by dark red. Blonde hair flew as the two single mindedly fought each other. No longer glowing gold they looked normal now not powerful warriors from the past just two late teens fighting with every trick they knew. Watching Blake felt there was still something other about them, something he could not touch. Or maybe that he could no longer touch.

"Why aren't you out there with them?" The Doctor was back if he had left at all.

Sighing Blake watched as attacks were made and counter attacks were sent back. The beauty of sword play. "I'm not one of them any more, I left."

Later that day Tommy Oliver watched as the young man he had fought with the day before raise a trophy in victory while his team mates carried him on their shoulder and groupies cheered. Tommy shook his head as Blake's ex team mates fought their way through the crowd and took turns hugging and slapping him on the back. No one would guess the naked longing he had seen on the motor cross champions face as he watched the ninjas train.

Tommy knew how it felt to watch from the sidelines and remember when you had been a part of that. After he had left the turbo team he had seen his replacements fight on tv it had not mattered where in the country his uncle's racing team had taken him. They had always made the news and although he was not proud of it he had judged his replacements and wished he could go back. One of the hardest lessons he had to learn was you can't go back only forward.


End file.
